This present disclosure relates generally to techniques for performing wellsite operations. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to techniques for monitoring equipment designed to prevent blowouts.
Oilfield operations may be performed to locate and gather valuable downhole fluids. Oil rigs are positioned at wellsites, and downhole tools, such as drilling tools, are deployed into the ground to reach subsurface reservoirs. Once the downhole tools form a wellbore to reach a desired reservoir, casings may be cemented into place within the wellbore, and the wellbore completed to initiate production of fluids from the reservoir. Downhole tubular devices, such as pipes, certain downhole tools, casings, drill pipe, liner, coiled tubing, production tubing, wireline, slickline, or other tubular members positioned in the wellbore, and associated components, such as drill collars, tool joints, drill bits, logging tools, packers, and the like, (referred to as ‘tubulars’ or ‘tubular strings’) may be positioned in the wellbore to enable the
Leakage of subsurface fluids may pose an environmental threat if released from the wellbore. Equipment, such as blow out preventers (BOPs), may be positioned about the wellbore to form a seal about the tubular therein to prevent leakage of fluid as it is brought to the surface. BOPs may have selectively actuatable rams (or ram bonnets), such as pipe rams or shear rams, that may be activated to seal and/or sever the tubular in a wellbore. Some examples of BOPs for severing tubulars are provided in U.S. Patent/Application No. 20110000670; U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,814,979; and 7,367,396. In some cases, it may be necessary to maintain the BOP, for example, when the BOP does not perform as desired or when a part fails on a BOP.